2Y1M (JP) - Daily Walk with Yee

Greatest Gift for Father's Day
“爸爸，我爱你," Yee said it a few times to Daddy tonight. Daddy leaped out of joy from his chair and placed his ears close to Yee to hear the sweetest thing he ever heard. And Daddy has watery eyes.

The Kinder Nurdery helped Yee to make a necktie for Daddy. Instead of giving it to Daddy, Yee wanted to wear it.
Reading Time

I was reading to Yee in English from a Chinese book. At this page, I asked her, "What is this?" Yee promptly replied, "Butterfly." Then she ran happily to Daddy and said, "蝴蝶”. Yee ran back to me and said, "Butterfly". Witnessing this, Daddy came to join us and asked Yee, "这是什么?", Yee replied, "树". Then I asked her, "What is this?", "Tree", came Yee's reply.
At Japanese Class
Yee sat with Mummy most of the time. Every now and then, she would run to the next table and sat with Daddy. This morning, she ran to Daddy and was back in a flash of lighting. She kept saying, "Koh Yee." I thought Daddy must have kissed her and she came running to tell me. Then I realized it was something else and kept pointing at my head. Then I realized, I used Yee's flower band to tie my hair, I took it off to show her. Yee wanted me to use it on her. After I did, she was pleased.
Swimming
Daddy is a very devoted Daddy and the best for Yee. He took Yee to the pool by himself and came back narrating to me the adventure. There are 4 pools at Ichikawa Clean Spa. Today, Yee used all four pools willingly and, best, leading Daddy the way. Yee took a floating board from the rack and Daddy brought her to the Adult's pool where there is a line allocated for walking in the water. Yee held to the board while Daddy led her to "swim" eight laps. When Yee was tired, she said, "Go there", pointing out of the pool. Then she led the way to the baby pool and had fun there. She also asked Daddy to go into the sauna room. Inside, she took the two seat mats from the rack, one for Daddy and the other for herself. When she is done, she put the mats back onto the rack.

Five minutes before the rest time (at this pool, there is a resting time of 10 mins and at every 50 mins interval. Everyone has to get out of the pool), Daddy asked Yee, shall we leave. Yee readily agreed and went to the exit gate. Yee sometimes refuse to leave the pool and Mummy has to carry her out.

2Y1M (JP) - Daily Walk with Yee

Kinder Nursery
We to　南根（みなみね）park today. This was the first time Yee sat on swing on her own. Then she and five other kids chased the pigeons together. When the pigeons flew away, they chased after butterflies. As Yee-chan ran a lot today, she ate a lot and fell asleep quickly for nap.
Potty Training: 15:00 (sat only)

2Y1M (JP) - Daily Walk with Yee

Language Differentiation
This morning, during breakfast, Daddy pointed at Yee's shirt and asked, "这只动物是什么?" Yee said, "兔子"。 Then Yee turned to me, pointing at the picture and said, "Rabbit".
Milestone: Taking Off Shirt, Pants and Diaper
After breakfast, I asked Yee to come into the room to change her clothes. Sitting by the dinner table, she began to take off her tops and pants. When she was done, I asked her to put them into the laundry basket.Yee did it.(she needed a little help with her top). Then she came into the room and started to take off her diaper.
Morning Routine
It getting warm. While distracting Yee with the nursery rhymes from youtube, I tied her hair. Yee likes it and keeps touching and pulling it.

What Should I Wear?
We let Yee chose her own shoe. She would always chose her yellow rain shoe. I explained to her that it was not raining. She put it back and looked at the other shoes, pair by pair. Then she picked the white shoe which she seldom wear.

Though it was not raining, Yee wanted to take her umbrella along.

After kissing Mummy's goodbye, Yee ran to join Daddy at the elevator.

Kinder Nursery
We did physical exercise, in the room, with くま group today. In the beginning, the kids and teachers did the exercise. Yee was looking and after a while, she joined in happily and was good at it. After the exercise, we played balls. We gathered a lot of pink balls and threw it far away.
Language Differentiation
At the nursery, while Yee was trying to wear her shoes, she pointed at the floor and said, "Ant." 渡辺先生 saw it and said, "あり”. Yee turned to look at 渡辺先生 and said, "あり”. Then Yee turned back to me and said, "Ant". Wow, she is speaking Japanese to 渡辺先生 and English to Mummy. Terrific job, Yee!
Playtime
Yee was just playing with the tricycle while suddenly she said, "socks" and got down from the tricycle to remove them. I quickly took a video
Yee saying, "socks" with pouting lips.

2Y1M (JP) - Daily Walk with Yee

Milestone: Prove The Critics Wrong, No Language Confusion
When Daddy asked Yee (pointing at the picture on her shirt), "这是什么?" Yee said, "兔子" Then I asked her, "What is this?" Yee replied, "Rabbit". We were both surprised. Yee replied us in the language that we speak to her.

I was showing Yee the above picture from her earlier blog. Daddy pointed at the picture on her shirt and asked Yee "这是什么?" Yee said, "蝴蝶", When Mummy asked, "What is this?" Yee replied, "Butterfly".

This incident has proved the critics wrong. Some said Yee will be confused at the different languages that she was exposed to (at the nursery, they use Japanese). Tonight, we learned that our effort has not been in vain. Thank God for helping us to decide that each of us should speak to Yee in only one language (Daddy-Mandarin and Mummy-English) and it works! Praise God!
Kinder Nursery
Yee went eagerly for the toilet-training. We went to 中央 park today. When Yee saw bird and flowers, she said, “バートー(pigeon) and おはな(flower)”. Then she sat happily on the rocking dog. Yee was coughing during naptime.
Potty Training: 14:45 (sat only)
Teacher Feedback
人見先生 told me that Yee went to sit on the potty on her own. Praise God for Yee's advancement in toilet-training. At home, for these two evenings, Yee refused to sit on the potty and pooed. But she did something new. She would take off her pants and diaper after she pooed.
Little Housekeeper
Yee has started to act like a little housekeeper. When she finished her food, she would put her plate on the basin top. Last night, after dinner, she scrapped off the waste from her plate and then placed it on the basin top.
Wearing Her Top
Yee sometimes wears her top on the opposite side. This evening when I told her that it was the wrong side and there was no picture in front, she listened intently, then took it off to try wearing it right. Then an idea came to me. I demonstrated to her with my own shirt. I showed her that when I did not see any picture at the front of my shirt, I just need to turn the collar it around my neck. Yee followed me and got it right. Kids, indeed learned by observation.

2Y1M (JP) - Daily Walk with Yee

Kinder Nursery
We did physical exercise in the room today. The last time, Yee-chan did not do it. Today, she had great fun exercising. Today was the first time that Yee-chan sat on the potty. She had seen her friends sitting on the potty. But she did not pooed. Before, she did not like to sit.
Potty Training: 11:00 (sat only)
On The Way Home
It was drizzling and I decided to ride the bike instead of walking. This is the first time Yee sat on the bike with her raincoat and holding her little umbrella. I think she had fun.
Prayer Request
1) It has been two months since we applied for government nursery for Yee. In Japan, only when both parents are working, then they can apply government nursery for their kids. I just gotten a part-time job two months ago and meet the requirement. I pray that Yee will get into the government nursery next month. It is a big saving and also, much more convenient for me as my tummy gets bigger.
2) I have been trying to get Yee to use the potty without success. She will tell me when she wants to poo but refuse to sit on the potty. The Kinder Nursery starts toilet-training this month. I pray that Yee will be potty-trained by this month.

2Y1M (JP) - Daily Walk with Yee

Sleeping Beauty
I was mesmerized by my little sleeping beauty this morning and took this picture.

Kinder Nursery
We went to 南沖（みなみおき）park today. Yee-chan walked to the park. On our way, we saw a cat and Yee-chan said, “cat, cat”. In the park, we played in the sandbox together and made a penguin sand sculpture.
More Two-word Phrases
- While cycling home, Yee heard the dog's barking and said, "Dog barks".
- When I carried Yee down from the bike, Yee's shoe dropped and she said, "Shoe drops".
- At the door, when I asked Yee to take off her socks, she said, "Socks, no!" instead of her usual "socks ない".
- When wearing diaper by herself, Yee said, "Yee wear."
The Reading Time
Last week, I bought a notebook and pasted cartoon characters (like Pooh, Hello Kitty and Mickey-&-Minnie) on it. The purpose was to surprise Yee with it on Saturday's Japanese class in hope that she will be engrossed with it for a long .... while. Tonight, Yee saw it on the computer table's magazine holder, reached out for it, took it to be bed and read it. I was amazed that she was fascinated by it.

New Routine
- At the doorway, Yee wanted me to carry her. I thought she wanted to play with the switch. So, I asked her to press the button and taught her "light on" and "light off". Yee was fascinated but quickly leaned toward the door lock. Yee looked at it and asked me to turn the knob to "unlock" position. Once I did it, she quickly turned it into "lock" position. I was amazed. Then I think Daddy must have taught her that. So, I told Yee, "From now on, whenever we come home, you will lock the door." Yee looked pleased.
- I was putting shoes into the shoe cupboard and thought perhaps it would be a good idea for Yee to put her shoes into the cupbopard instead of just laying them nicely by the doorway. When I asked Yee to do it, she gladly did it and close the cupboard after that.
- About three nights ago, Yee started to go to bed on her own (before, Mummy must lay beside her). This is a pleasant 'break' of past routine. It was pretty tedious (and unproductive) to lay beside Yee till she slept. Mummy welcomes the new routine with wide open arms and shout, "Hurray!"
Dinnertime
When I finished my dinner, Yee saw my empty bowl and said to me, "Go there," telling me to leave the dinner table.

Kinder Nursery ~ 2Y1M (JP) ~ Class Photo